Home is Where the Heart Is
by Bologna121
Summary: something much more than a simple "meet the parents". Remy brings Rogue to Louisiana. Finished :
1. Coming Home

**Disclaimer: well I'm in college. Ya'll I'm so broke, there is no way I could own anything. :P Although I wish I owned Taylor Kitsch. But that's kinda like slavery so…**

**Anyway enjoy!**

If there was one trip he could make in his sleep, it was a trip back to Louisiana. Born and raised, it would always be the place he called home, no matter how many unpleasant memories came with the territory. And if the thought of Louisiana as a whole was enough to make smile, New Orleans alone was the one that made him down right happy.

It was the food, the atmosphere, the warm warm weather. It was the historically built buildings, the fountains, the never ending trail of small items and favors left behind during Mardi Gras that one could always find on the sides of the street. The Bourbon, the rough barmen, the smoky and lively bars. The beautiful, forward, loose women.

He'd left the city many years ago, intent on getting away from the heightened pressures of his responsibility to the Thieves Guild, his crazy marital situation, and all of the random people who wanted him either dead or rotting in a cage so they could experiment on him. Eventually he'd found his way to New York. Xavier's School for the Gifted had turned out to be good to him. He'd reconnected with long lost friends (dear sweet Stormy and rough, man-of-his-word Wolverine). He'd made friends (not just "associates" like he'd had everywhere else) such as Piotr and Warren. He'd joined a team that actually had a purpose and a goal for the world. He never thought he'd play the super hero, but it turned out to be kinda fun. He'd never admit that to anyone though.

Sure the buildings in New York didn't hold as much intrigue as the buildings in New Orleans. Sure Xavier's mansion wasn't as comfortable to him as the Thieves Mansion and he didn't have as much free reign. Sure the New York bars and clubs were uppity and preppy and filled with pop music, nowhere near as enticing as the smoky jazz clubs he'd frequented at home where the music was low and sultry and the body movements of the dancers matched the tunes.

But there was one thing New York had that, for those months he was there, made it better than New Orleans….Rogue.

Of all the women he could have fallen for in that city, it never ceases to amaze him that it would be the infamous Untouchable. But whenever he stops and thinks about it, of course it would make sense. She calmed his restless fire, and he cheekily ignited hers. She was fiercely strong willed and independent, but just vulnerable enough to soften her. She could be wild, carefree sultry, all the while innocent, inexperienced and sugary sweet. Everything he could every want in a _femme_ all rolled up into one doe eyed, leather wearing, curvaceous and sassy southern belle.

So when he'd been itching for an authentic Louisiana bourbon and a hug from his _tante_ last week but couldn't bare the idea of leaving her for any period of time other than a mandatory mission, the choice was an obvious one. Bring his _chere _to New Orleans.

He took his eyes off the familiar road and focused on the much more appealing sight next to him in the passenger seat. She was humming softly to a song on the radio, tapping her foot in time to the beat and playing with the white strands of her two-toned hair. She'd started wearing it down and natural for him since he preferred to run his hands through her wavy, almost curly hair and had once even threatened to confiscate her hair straightener.

The minute his eyes moved to her she looked at him, a shy smile on her face. He took her hand.

"Doin' alright there chere?" he wondered if she was nervous about meeting his family. When he'd told her he wanted her to come with him she'd been ecstatic and honored, throwing her arms around him and rewarding him with the sweetest of kisses to his face. Apparently she'd never been invited to a "meet the parents" before. She'd been excited about the trip the whole time she packed, but since they'd gotten in the car she'd been so silent. He took the smooth, bare hand he held and kissed her palm.

By the time Remy came around to the Mansion, the Cure had already begun to fail. Interestingly enough, they hadn't even decided to start- whatever it was you called their relationship- until after Rogue had fully gotten her powers back. With help from himself, Hank, Logan, and Emma Frost, she'd finally gotten around to having a certain amount of control over her powers, and that level of control was increasing over time. Still, she insisted that until complete control came, she'd continue covering up for the safety of others. Only around Remy did she let loose a little, let her guard down. Most likely because he'd push her guarded limits anyway.

She smiled sweetly at him, leaning her body closer to his. "Yeah, Sugah I'm fine. Just a little…jittery I guess." At his raised eyebrow she continued. "This is going to sound so cliché and I know we're passed little stuff like this, but I really wanna make a good impression. This is your _family _after all. Not just some bartender you wanted to introduce me to."

He grinned at her, moving his hand from hers and running it through her silken hair. He took every given chance to touch some part of her. "It'll be fine ma chere. As long as you're not an assassin they'll love you." He smirked playfully.

Rogue rolled her eyes at his unhelpfulness but caught her breath when she saw the house they neared. "That's it?" she asked in awe. Humble abode, her butt. Remy had never mentioned his family was loaded. Having a house like this was something she could only dream of.

Remy pulled around to the large gate, swiftly entering a code as if he'd only left the house for a 30 minute grocery trip instead of almost a decade. The gate opened and admitted them and she couldn't help but notice the wide eyed looks of disbelief on the faces of two men who were obviously sent to guard the entrance. She vaguely wondered what the city would make of the unexpected return of _Le Diable Blanc. _

A smooth drive up the driveway, and Remy finally turned off the car, turning to her and staring deeply at her. His steady gaze, as always made her blush, and with a deep chuckle he leaned over to her, hand tangled in her hair and kissed her soundly.

As usual it took her a second to relax and summon up her control, but soon after she allowed herself to melt into the kiss.

What was meant to have been assuring peck had, of course, turned into something just a bit more. He should have known, though. He'd never been able to control himself when it came to her. Her skin, once he'd finally been able to touch it, was like a drug to him. And her soft full lips were intoxicating.

They'd decided to take their…relationship?...slowly once she'd started gaining control. She'd never been serious with anyone (Bobby, now her best friend, didn't seem to count anymore much to his amusement), and he'd never actually taken much time to "get to know" _femmes_ before he actually "got to know" them. Catch the drift? It was uncharted territory for him, so he let her take the lead. They still slept in separate rooms, their "dates" ended with heated kisses but nothing more, and wandering hands (though usually allowed) had as of yet only wandered to safe places. They were going slow because they both needed to. Trust had to be developed before they gave themselves to each other. And although sometimes he burned for her, he knew that often she had to exercise restraint herself whenever they spent private time together.

Seeing how far he could push this one he let his tongue trace her bottom lip. Her soft gasp opened her mouth to him but she pulled away before he could go any further. She giggled into his shoulder at his soft moan. "Sorry, Rems. But remember what I said about wanting to make a good impression? We're kinda in your driveway."

Still reeling from her touch, he moved his hands to trace over all the curves he could reach, earning him a gentle kiss to his neck. His fingers dug into her hips and she turned the kisses to his neck into gentle nips. She could be quite a vixen when she wanted to be.

"Remy" she sighed contentedly.

"Anna." He breathed into her hair and then looked into her eyes as she leaned back from him.

Only he knew that name. It was something she hadn't even given to Logan and Bobby, and had no intention of ever giving it to anyone else. Sure the name was on her birth certificate and anyone that really wanted to know could see it, but in her personal relationships she either gave the name Rogue or Marie. Safe names. Anna Marie was something she liked to keep private, a name that not even her parents had called her by since they preferred just Marie. But she'd shared it with Remy one sweet night on the roof where they talked. She always knew he was being dead honest and totally serious with her by when he used it. He also used it whenever he wanted her. Just her. Only her.

She reached a hand out to stroke his jaw before unbuckling her seatbelt and reaching for her purse at her feet.

"C'mon sugah. You're family's waiting" she sent him a playful grin and jerked her head over to the house. Looking out his window, he saw his brother smiling widely from the vast porch, eyes sparkling and arms wide.

***bangs head against computer* I didn't actually mean for this to happen. This was going to be a one shot but then I wanted to write more so…this is only just the beginning. But it won't be a long story. Maybe just a two or three shot. So…more to come!**

**P.S- I haven't stopped focusing on Unavoidable. I just decided to take a different direction with it than originally planned so…I'll get on that soon Have patience with me. My father decided it would be a good idea if I took Calculus this summer. Huh. -_-**


	2. Parfait

**Sorry about the wait! Here's the next chapter **

**Disclaimer: I'm so broke, I had to ask my 11 year old sister for money to buy a candy bar. I own nada. **

She'd never seen Remy smile as much as when he was back around his family. Even if he was scowling at the stories they retold for her amusement, he couldn't keep the delighted gleam out of his eye.

His reunion with his brother had made her heart melt. She could see he'd tried to look unaffected by his brother's enthusiasm for his return, but once Henri had pulled him into a fierce looking hug, Remy hadn't done anything to pull away. He buried his face into his brother's shirt and hugged back just as fiercely.

His reunion with his sweet but sassy sister- in -law had made her laugh. Once they'd both been dragged inside they were met with an earsplitting squeal coming from the top of the stairs. All Rogue managed to see was a blur of honey blonde hair before the owner of the squeal had launched herself into Remy's arms, much to his apparent shock.

"Oh Remy! I could jus' KILL you for surprising us like this! I can't believe you're here! Who d'you think y'are waltzin' in all unannounced? Oh I've missed you so so so so much!" All of her words, whether reprimands or exclamations of joy, were punctuated by kisses to his cheeks.

"Agh Mercy! Get off o' me" Remy groaned half heartedly as his sister continued to cling to him. Rogue laughed out loud at how shocked he looked about Mercy's enthusiasm. But she saw him press a quick kiss to both of her cheeks in return.

Henri laughed as well. "Dey were constantly pickin' at each other back when _mon frère_ was still here. Never a dull day wit' dos two in the same room."

Mercy finally untangled herself from Remy and gave him a once over. "But you haven't changed a bit! An' it's been years." She brightened immediately. "oh! There's someone else you have to meet!" and she disappeared up the stairs again, leaving Remy thoroughly confused.

"She's still insane I see."

Henri chuckled again.

His reunion with the newest LeBeau, Sebastien, had Rogue smiling widely. Remy had always gotten along well with the kids at the mansion, as most of them hero worshipped him. But none of those kids had been babies. His little 11 month old nephew regarded him with innocent curiosity, and Rogue practically swooned when the baby reached out to him. She couldn't help herself. Remy just looked so good, so natural with the baby in his arms. Thoughts of what could be swirled uninhibited in her imagination.

When Remy beckoned her over with his eyes, Rogue was only too happy coo at Sebastien along with him. She could feel Mercy's scrutinizing gaze upon the two of them, a slight surprised smile playing at her lips.

Remy's reunion with Tante Mattie went a bit differently. He surprised her in the kitchen, gave his most devastatingly handsome smile, she gave him a once over, and then hit him with her baking spoon. Hard.

"Ow! Tante what was dat for?" His eyes were wide and his tone was indignant. He had to talk over Henri's loud laughter coming from where he was on the floor, rolling around in hysterics. Mercy had tried not to laugh herself but was failing miserably, and Sebastien giggled happily at his newfound _Oncle's _ shocked face.

"You know better than to come behind me and scare me like that while I'm cooking!" the rich brown skinned woman cocked her hips and narrowed her eyes at Remy, but she couldn't keep the smile out of your eyes. "Now c'mere and give me a proper greeting."

His reunion with his father really did have her misty eyed. Jean Luc, having come into the room to see what all the ruckus was about, stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of the son he hadn't seen for so many years. He mouthed wordlessly, hands limp at his side. Remy was doing the same thing, but came out of it sooner.

"_Pere." _

Rogue, as did everyone else in the room, looked away politely as the two men embraced. It had been years since anyone had seen Jean Luc cry, and here he was doing it unabashedly. The two were talking together in rapid, broken French, exchanging heartfelt apologies in hushed tones.

Remy had told her a few months ago that he and his father had not parted on a good note. But he'd told her "I've forgiven 'im. And I hope he's forgiven me. He's the only _pere_ I got, and he's a damn good one."

Once the two had parted, Remy ran a hand through his own hair and reached out to take her hand. "Everyone, this is Marie, my girlfriend."

He'd never referred to her like that to anyone before. Often times she wondered if he even considered what they had _dating. _Their relationship seemed so much more evolved than that of just a silly boyfriend and girlfriend, but the title still made her glow in happiness.

It also made the rest of the family look at him like maybe at some point in the last 10 years he'd lost his right mind. Henri, who was on a roll that day, just started laughing again.

"I just never thought I'd see the day!"

So here they were, a couple of hours later, laughing, talking and joking together. Sebastien took an immediate liking to his hilarious Uncle Remy who laughed with and at his papa and who made silly faces at his mama. And from his position on Remy's lap he became acquainted with someone else he liked. Little Sebastien took great interest in Rogue's unusual hair. It was his favorite new plaything, and his soft yanking didn't seem to bother Rogue in the slightest (although Mercy continued apologizing profusely).He was thrilled when the owner of the hair picked him up and played with him.

Remy took in the sight of Rogue with a child in her arms with an open smile and a gleam to his eyes. Tante and Mercy saw it of course, and exchanged mischievous grins.

As Henri had exclaimed before, none of them had thought they'd ever see Remy so…taken. And despite the fact that they'd known her all of a few hours, every single one of them was quite impressed with his choice. Marie was quite a girl.

Tante had voiced her relief that Remy hadn't brought home some uppity, too-skinny city girl. She appreciated women with a healthy appetite, and looked fondly at Rogue as she ate second helpings at dinner without any prompting.

Mercy was ecstatic at how much her son seemed to like her brother-in-law and his new girlfriend. "I mean…he gets along with everyone of course. But he seems to like you so much!"

Jean Luc and Henri were enthralled with the idea of the X-Men, and were even interested in her unique powers. Henri got another good laugh at the idea of his brother, self proclaimed lover of all women, being so obsessed with any girl that he'd given up sex.

"That in and of itself says it all, _ma petite."_

Even Emil, Theoren and Lapin, once they'd come barreling through the door after hearing of Remy's return, had liked her. Especially Emil, after he'd witnessed her sass Remy to no end for not helping Tante Mattie with the dishes and then seen Remy actually get up to do it. "_Ma Cherie…_I do believe y've got _Le Diable Blanc_ whipped!"

Of course, he ended up paying dearly for that comment.

Night rolled around and Jean Luc, Tante Mattie, and little Sebastien all went to bed. The others were looking forward to a night on the town to celebrate Remy's homecoming.

He pulled Marie close, drawing her flush against him. His eyes glowed fervently and mischievously as he ran a slow hand over her hips. " Wanna take you out tonight, _chere. _Show y' my city." He gave her the softest of kisses to her temple. "An' then, once we ditch the others, mebbe I show you more den dat, _hein?" _

Rogue swatted at his chest playfully despite her deep blush. "You just keep your hands to yourself while I'm tourin' tonight, Swamp Rat. Otherwise, I might just let Emil take me home." Her eyes sparkled as she teased him.

For Remy, minus the fact that his brother was now a married man and had brought his wife along, the outing was just like old times. Emil and Lapin, as usual, got hilariously drunk and wild, chasing anything in skirts and getting dangerously close to getting thrown out of every bar they entered. Henri drank moderately, and Remy had quite a few more than his brother, though because of his mutation it took quite a lot to get him drunk.

Merci and Marie giggled together girlishly over their "fruity, girly, wimpy drinks" (as Emil labeled them) watching Henri look ridiculously uncomfortable as some old flame of his scribbled her number in lipstick on his arm.

"You ain't gonna do anything 'bout that, Sugah?" Marie teased to her newfound companion. Remy watched with an eye of approval at how well the two got along.

Mercy smirked. "Oh no, I love to watch him squirm under pressure. Besides, ain't nothin' new." She sent Marie a wink. "Sure it happens to you _all _the time with Remy, though."

She was right of course. Just in New York alone (even in the Mansion!) girls were constantly surrounding Remy, flirting with him and hoping to catch his eye if their neckline was just low enough. And just in this one night he'd had a line of girls approaching him in sexual desperation, hoping that their greatest one-night-stand had perhaps returned for more. Rogue knew his reputation. And once they were together he'd been extremely honest with her about his past. She wasn't the jealous type, though. And Remy had never given her a reason not to trust him.

So when a buxom blonde came just at that second and slithered her way onto his lap, she merely raised her eyebrow. "I ain't really up to sharin' tonight, Sugah. Maybe next time." The girl glared at her, looking extremely put out when Remy politely but laughingly dismissed her.

Hours later, they made their way home. Everyone was happy and chatty (though Henri and Mercy were lagging a bit behind as they kept whispering what sounded like teasing lovers sentiments to each other) and Marie had her fingers tangled with Remy's, who drew her close to his side and kept pressing kisses to her hair. When they began nearing the house, though, he'd dropped his joking conversations with his cousins and physically distanced himself from her a bit. She frowned, but didn't think much of it.

Back at the house, the group said their tipsy but heartfelt goodnights to one another. Remy walked Marie to her door (he'd insisted that they have separate rooms. Henri, at that point, was beside himself with shocked laughter). He made no move to leave her at the doorway, however, so she opened the door and pulled him inside.

Turning around in the darkness, she could see how his eyes burned a deep, pulsing red. He seemed tense all of a sudden, as if he shouldn't be in there with her. As if he was angry with himself for some reason. He'd been perfectly fine all night, happily laughing, drinking and joking with his family and the old acquaintances he ran into. Why was he like this now?

She slid a soft hand from his shoulder, along the length of his arm and to his hand, only to find that instead of open and waiting for her touch, his hands were clenched into tight fists. Frowning, she reached a hand up to cup his face. "Is everything ok, Sugah?" her voice was as sweet as honey, but it didn't seem to soften him one bit. Instead, he seemed to tense even more, if possible.

Confused by his behavior and not really knowing how to respond, she tilted the face between her hands toward her for a goodnight kiss.

Their lips touched softly, but he didn't seem to respond. His eyes clenched shut. But she heard him take a shuddering intake of breath.

So that's what it was, then. She couldn't help but smirk.

She pulled them together again, pressing her lips to his warm, soft and full ones. She let her mouth linger there before sliding up to kiss her way up his strong jawline. She brought her hands up to tangle in his hair, twisting softly at the hairs on the nape of his neck. Another sharp intake of breath. Once her lips had reached his earlobe, it felt as if he'd stopped breathing altogether. But she wasn't going to stop. Not tonight.

She'd always wanted to take the physical aspect of their relationship slowly. Not even with Bobby had she gotten truly intimate, and there really wasn't anyone serious after him. But tonight, perhaps it was the city lights or the smell of the Louisiana air. Perhaps it was that one delicious drink she'd had (doubtful), or maybe it was because ever since he'd asked her to join him on this trip she'd felt as if they'd breached some major point in this relationship. Whatever the reason, she wanted him now, more than she'd ever wanted him before.

She slid her hands slowly down to his hard, sculpted chest. She could feel every muscle their even over his shirt. Her tongue flicked at his lobe.

"Touch me, Remy."

It was like something in him had shot off. All night he'd been trying to control himself. Seeing this girl he loved so much in his city, with his family and prancing around in his fedora had been more than he could handle. He hadn't meant to come into this room with her, and was mentally beating himself up for doing so. Now this happened. He couldn't even say they were drunk and that this was just an inebriated mistake. She was definitely sober and he held his alcohol too well.

No, this was a fully conscious thing they were doing.

His lips landed hard against hers, unyielding and demanding. His hands wandered to places they really shouldn't. He gripped her backside and pulled her flush against him as he had earlier that evening, only this time their hips locked. Rogue let out a throaty moan.

Her hands, still on his chest, were greedy for more, pulling desperately at the buttons of his shirt until it was off. He let out a groan of guilty ecstasy as soft fingers accidentally brushed over his nipple. Kissing his way down the sweet column of her throat, nipping and sucking as he went, he slid his hands over her supple curves. When his hands stopped and hovered over the edge of her shirt, he unthinkingly and expertly whipped it off of her, not caring where it landed. Her bra was black lace, and it was driving him insane. His mind wondered to what else on her might just be black lace. He was burning for her.

Rogue was in a frenzied state if bliss. She knew she'd get a reaction out of him, she just didn't think it'd be like this. She loved it. The feeling of his hands roaming heatedly over her body had her senses on overload and she couldn't get enough. She tugged him by his belt toward the bed, her tongue mingling like the sweetest poison with his as he fell on top of her.

Remy, though part of his brain was screaming at him to get a hold of himself, let himself melt with her, succumbing completely to the feel of her. her lips were angelically soft against his, her hands had him throwing his head back in pleasure. They weren't even at the best part yet and he was already painfully hard in his jeans.

She arched up toward him, her hips grinding into his in a slow, painfully seductive rhythm. "Remy", she whimpered into his ear.

He almost took her that night.

But with a shattered moan, he pulled away, rolling to his side and tucking her into his arms. It took everything in his power to stop. "_Dieu, mon chere. _You have no idea how much I wan' y." His voice sounded thick with lust, his eyes shining the deepest red she'd seen yet.

"So have me." She whispered back as she nuzzled her neck.

_Dieu. _

He pulled her back to look at her. There was a slight contemplative frown on his face. "As amazing as I'm sure that would be, an' believe me _chere_ it will be amazin'" (she shuddered) "Not here. Not tonight. Especially not in the guest bedroom at _mon pere's_ house wit' Theoren next door. Don' think he'd appreciate that too much." He pressed a sound kiss to her pouting lips. "_Non, mon amour. _Not tonight."

She smiled shyly at him. "Will you still stay with me tonight?" They'd done this at the mansion as well, sleeping over in each other's rooms. Both of them had a tendency to sleep fitfully due to nightmares.

"o' course, _bebe_." He murmured lovingly. "Always."

After dressing for bed, they slid under the covers together, tangled sweetly with each other, until the even sounds of his breathing lulled her into a sound slumber. He shut his eyes, running his fingers through her soft curls without thinking. It felt right, he mused, lying here with her in his arms. It always had, and he was sure it always would, But being back in his home and having her with him felt exceptionally…_parfait. _

**Review por favor! How do you like it so far? **


	3. L'amour et la famille

**Sorry for the delay! Summer school's kinda kicking my butt….But anyway here it is! Enjoy **

**Disclaimer: I still own nothing. **

He woke up, as usual, well before Marie did. As the first rays of the sun shone through the blinds of the luxurious guest bedroom, he breathed a sigh of contentedness. He would have been happy just laying with her until she awoke. Her limbs tangled with his and her soft breath on his neck gave him a delirious sense of joy like nothing he'd ever experienced. But he had to get out of bed. Important things had to be taken care of.

He hadn't exactly given her all his true reasons for putting a stop to what was promising to be one of the best nights of his life. Yes, when he did finally make love to her he'd very much like for it to _not _be in a guest bedroom. He'd especially like for it to happen far far _far _away from any place his nosy family could potentially hear/interrupt/etc.

But when he'd needed a good solid reason to stop his _amour_ from seducing him out of his pants and into her bed, one certainly came to mind.

Belladonna.

Any sort of relationship he'd had with that woman had endedmany years ago, but that's not to say they'd ended on a good note. When Remy had finally left New Orleans, the _last_ thing he'd been worried about in his state of rage betrayal had been finalizing a divorce with the woman he'd once loved. Part of him, when he'd left, had thought maybe everything would sort itself out and he and Belladonna would go back to being the lovers they once were. But then Stryker had gotten a hold of him…and then Sinister…and then Wolverine….He'd been a bit too busy to remember such trivial details like marital status.

He'd heard through the grapevine some years ago that Jean Luc and Belladonna's father Marius had sorted everything out and filed the divorce. But this was something he needed to do in person.

With a feather light kiss to Marie's hair, he prayed his Tante was up already and willing to make him a good breakfast. He was going to need all the strength he could get if he was to do this impromptu meeting with his assassin ex-wife.

X x x x x x x x x x x x x

He made his way to the mansion of the Assassin's Guild, where the guards were in too much of a state of shock to do anything to stop him from coming through. One of the guards, Antoine, even gave him a small smile. He and Antoine had always been on good terms; He'd always turned a blind eye to all the times Remy had needed to sneak out from Bella's room in the early hours of the morning.

He was surprised at how easily he navigated this household. Every man he passed stared in disbelief, every woman blushed and looked away quickly, and all of the children's eyes followed him with unadulterated admiration as he strode purposefully to Marius's office.

He knocked swiftly and waited for a maid to answer. He was startled at who answered instead.

"Figures you'd come in the morning. As if we're above attacking you in broad daylight. What took you so long?"

The years that had passed between them did not change the fact that he still found her extraordinarily beautiful.

He took in Belladonna's sharp, clear blue eyes (narrowing slightly as she, in turn, looked him over), her soft, golden blonde ringlets and her athletic build. She was dressed in casual clothing of her typical color (black) and had her hands on her hips in her usual stance. He couldn't help but smile a bit. Some things would never change.

He bowed his head and polite greeting. "Belladonna. May I come in?"

"Remy." She raised an eyebrow at his polite demeanor. "Fine." She led him into the room and to a grand desk of rich mahogany. "Sit." She commanded.

He plopped down in the seat he was given and waited for her to settle herself behind the desk.

Like something out of an old movie, she took out a nail file. Better sharpening her nails than sharpening her knife, he thought. Although he knew from experience her nails weren't exactly painless either.

"I heard you'd come in yesterday. Some of my younger Assassins swore to me they saw you gallivanting around the city with your _frère._"

He was thankful she was making an effort at conversation. It made the whole situation less tense and certainly less painful.

"_Oui_, I went out last night wit' Henri. And m' cousins, _aussi._"

Her eyes snapped to his. And people said _his_ eyes looked dangerous…..

"Dey said there was a _femme _wit' ya as well…" her accent was thickening, her only tell for when she was extremely pleased with herself….or when she was getting ready to murder someone else….

He didn't so much as flinch. Growing up together, he'd learned exactly how to respond when Belle wanted to play. "_Oui,_ Mercy. She wanted t' come wit' us."

"Someone else."

He dropped the poker face and rolled his eyes, leaning back to lounge lazily against the chair as he heaved a sigh. "Y'r men never miss a thing, _non? _But what if it was Emil's girl? Useless to pay much attention t' that."

"Maybe. And maybe not. Perhaps this girl could be of great interest to us."

He pulled a pack of cards out of his pocket and began shuffling out of habit. She narrowed her eyes into slits.

"Remy LeBeau I swear if you burn anything in dis room…"

He smirked and dismissed her threat with a wave of his hand. "I won't, I won'. So _dite moi…_ what did dis _femme_ look like?"

She took in his sitting position and card shuffling with a face of distaste mixed with nostalgic amusement. She'd seen him like this, in this exact spot, so many years ago every time her father had caught Remy trying to sneak her out somewhere. She smiled to herself as she remembered how Marius had never been a big fan of her ex lover. "They didn't quite get all the specifics."

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Give me what ya got."

She took the challenge, but decided to make it into her game. "Let's see… average build, about Mercy's height. Jeans and a grey top. Boots. black hair-"

"Brown." He corrected softly. She smirked.

"Brown then. With an interesting dye job to it. Or…perhaps it's not dye? A mutant girl perhaps?"

Remy did not acknowledge that.

"Brown eyes. Interesting set of dog tags around her wrist. We ran a quick scan. Rogue? An X-Men, Remy? I never thought the superhero would be your type." She taunted.

He hadn't actually expected them to look into who his companion was. He as immediately angered at Belladonna's intrusion into Rogue's privacy. Anonymity was something Rogue really valued. "What do you want with her." He growled dangerously.

Belladonna burst with laughter. Not sinister chuckles, but a true laugh. Her curls bounced in a way that made her look entirely too innocent considering how deadly she really was.

"Wan' with her? I want n-nothing!" she leaned back with ease into her chair. "_Dieu _ I was just tryin' to rile y' up. An' it worked! I needed some good entertainment to start my day, anyway."

Remy scowled as he pushed up roughly from the chair and walked around the room, taking in everything from the old photos on the wall to the expensive trinkets on the desk.

She watched him with an amused smirk. "Ah, c'mon _chere_ I was just havin' my fun. Honestly I've never seen you get so angry about me talkin' about one of your _puta-"_

He silenced her with his eyes, which he knew were glowing dangerously. He caught her shiver. "She's not my _whore_, Belle."

Her eyes widened in disbelief at his dangerous expression. "Well. My oh my I certainly did not expect this." Her face contorted with an emotion he could not place. "Y' love dis girl, Remy?" she asked carefully.

He looked at her steadily, but gave no response.

Her gaze hardened into a glare. "I see. Do you _love_ her like you _loved _me_?"_

He cocked his head to the side, eyes never leaving hers. "It's different, Belle."

"Y'mean it's _better."_ She sneered.

'_absolumente'_ he thought to himself, reflecting on how just the thought of Rogue made his heart soar. But he wasn't heartless. "It's jus' different."

And it was different. His relationship with Belle had been perfect. Childhood best friends turned lovers turned spouses made for a perfect story. But the circumstances surrounding their marriage and all affairs after had torn then apart. His old life with Belladonna seemed like a distant memory. Rogue, however, symbolized his new life. A life where he was part of a team, a life where he was learning to trust and try to be trusted by people other than his _famille._ As cliché as it sounded, Rogue had prompted him to be a better kind of person, and he loved her with all of his heart. He couldn't see himself being anywhere but with her and next to her for the rest of his existence.

She him one last withering glare and then opened a drawer of her desk.

"Well I know what you came for. Everyone sees us as divorced now, and the state views us legally separated. But y' gotta sign here and here on the divorce papers and it'll be completely official. I'll leave you to it." She rose regally from her chair and swiftly crossed the room, prepared to leave. But he caught her arm and swung her around to face him.

"I love her, Belle. I really do. An' I'm gonna marry her. But just because I'm moving on doesn't make my love for you any different. I'll always care about you, _Cherie." _

She wrenched her arm from his grasp, but gave him a soft hint of a sad smile.

"I'm sorry I left things the way they were. You didn' deserve that." He continued genuinely, taking her smaller hand in his.

She shook her head ruefully, sending more curls flying. Then, after a moment's hesitation, she leaned forward and pressed a soft, chaste kiss to his lips. "Goodbye, Remy."

She turned away from him and walked out of the door, but before her footsteps faded away he heard her shout, "And I _don't _wan' a wedding invitation!" with a hint of humor in her voice.

He grinned. "Aw c'mon, you don' wanna see Emil in a penguin suit?"

"Goodbye, LeBeau."

"Bye, Belle." He whispered after her, turning to his divorce papers.

X x x x x x x x x x x x x

The rest of the trip was everything he imagined and more; he really felt as if he was at home again. Tante cooked (and cooked, and cooked…) and Remy didn't think he'd ever be able to go back to northern-style food again. Rogue was even picking up some of the older woman's cooking tips, and the two of them (plus Mercy) spent hours a day in the kitchen gossiping, giggling, and making fun of Remy and Henri.

Remy himself spent hours a day conversing and reconnecting with his father and brother. Remy listen intently as they caught him up on all the new Guild affairs, and they in turn familiarized themselves with Remy's work with the X-men. Jean Luc, at the end of one of their visits, pulled Remy to him in a gruff hug. "I'm so proud of you son. I truly am. You've grown to become a great man."

In the late afternoons both Remy and Rogue would play with Sebastien. The baby had become extremely attached to both of them, but he'd taken a special interest in Marie. Every time Remy would kiss her, caress her, or even make conversation with her, Sebastien would come crawling over in between them, asking with his eyes to be played with…and for her to stop paying attention to his _oncle. _And then he would giggle innocently when Remy narrowed his eyes playfully.

"Sneaky _petite homme." _ Remy shook his head as Marie fell for Sebastien's "tricks" again. "He's tryin' t' steal ya from me!"

Marie grinned mischievously. "Oh quit poutin' Cajun. I think he might be too young for me anyway." Remy stuck his tongue out at his nephew triumphantly. "Although, one could say _you're _too _old_ for me…so I guess I need to find a healthy medium." She glanced alluringly around the room. "Emil? How 'bout it?"

The time he spent with his family was some of the best Remy could ever remember, and on the last night of their stay he couldn't help but feel terribly reluctant to pack. Marie noticed.

"Sugah." She called sweetly to him as they lay together on his bed. She was about to go back to her own room but figured he needed some cheering up first. "I want you to know I mean this when I say it…but you _don't_ _have_ to come back with me."

He gave her a questioning look, raising a skeptical eyebrow. "What do y' mean, _chere_? Of course I have to go back with you."

She shook her head fervently, staring at him with all the love she had in her heart. She didn't want to do this, but she needed to. "No, Remy. You can stay here. I know how happy being here makes you, and I could never blame you or be angry at you for staying. This is your family….your home." She held his hand tightly in hers.

Remy shook his head slowly at her, a slight frown playing on his lips. "_Non._ I'm going to go back wit'-"

Marie cut him off. "And besides, they all want you here! I don't think your father wants you to walk out again."

Remy dismissed her with a quick wave of his hand. "_Non, _what they want is me with _you_. If I'd come back by myself, sure, they would have been real happy. If I'd come back by myself and announced I was gonna marry Belladonna again, they might have killed me. But I came back and brought _you. _Not just anyone…_you_, Anna. That's what's makin' them so happy." She gave him a doubtful look, and he kissed her swiftly. "Dey really love you, _chere_. But as far as leavin' and stayin' goes, just know this." He gazed at her firmly and lovingly. "I ain't goin' anywhere you ain't, Anna. If you leave, I leave. That's just how it is."

She blushed under his heated stare, fiddling with his hand in hers. He chuckled at her lack of response, and soon she felt one of his warm hands under her chin, tilting her to face him.

But instead of meeting his unique eyes again, she found herself staring at a ring. Her breath hitched.

Remy sat up and pulled her with him. "Anna Marie D'Ancanto, _ma petite _River Rat," he grinned at her wide eyes. "Will you marry me?"

Marie opened and closed her mouth multiple times before stopping altogether and swallowing hard. He chuckled again at her but waited patiently (and nervously) for her response.

Finally she whispered out "yes".

He laughed in joy and leaned in to kiss her fully, wrapping his arms around her and pulling them both back down to his sift bed.

He did make love to her that night. It was long, slow, and sweet. And as they lay entangled in their afterglow, Remy knew in his heart he'd made the right decision.

X x x x x x x x x x x x x

They were met that morning with a hearty going-away breakfast, which quickly turned into a congratulations breakfast once Remy announced the news. Hugs, kisses, and tears (Tante and Mercy) were in abundance, and by the time Remy and Rogue were almost out of the door, they both felt as if their hearts could be torn apart by the separation from this family.

Sebastien gave them both wet kisses and pats to the face when they said goodbye to him. He even gave Marie's streak one last little tug before he let her go.

Mercy and Tante hugged Marie over and over, with promises of over the phone wedding plans very soon. Henri embraced Remy with a sad smile, and Jean Luc did the same. "You've made a great choice in your future, son. I'm so, so proud."

"_Oui," _Henri patted him on the back. "You've done real good for y'self _petite frère. _Lookin' forward to seeing you soon, _hein?_ Don't be a stranger._"_

They drove off soon after, Marie tearing up openly and Remy waving sadly back at his family. Little Sebastien waved back until they couldn't see him anymore.

Once they were a good ways away, Remy turned to Marie and took her hand, kissing it softly. "So…what d'ya say _mon amour?_ Wanna take a trip to your family in Mississippi?"

Rogue rolled her eyes playfully. "Not a chance, Swamp Rat. Let's just get back to my real family…I can't wait to see what Logan's gonna do to ya once he sees this gorgeous ring on my finger."

The look on Remy's face kept them laughing together all the way out of Louisiana.

**So, what do you think? Sorry if the ending was kinda abrupt. I wanted to get this out ASAP. And to all you hardcore Belladonna haters out there…sorry. I actually kinda like Belladonna, so I wasn't about to make her purely evil **

**This one is finished! Now I just need to get back to Unavoidable….man oh man. **

**Send me a Review! **


End file.
